DROWNING AND AQUATIC INJURY FACTS

The following statistics were taken from the 2001
issue of Accident Facts, published by the National Safety Council. They are based on death
and injury statistics from 1998.

Heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, and unintentional injuries were the leading causes of death in the
United States. Unintentional injuries were the leading cause of death for individuals aged
1 to 38. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among persons in age groups
from 1 to 38. Among persons of all ages, unintentional injuries are the fifth leading
cause of death. For children in the 5 to 14 year age group, unintentional injuries claim
more than three times as many lives as the next leading cause of death, accounting for
almost 42% of the 7,791 total deaths of these persons. Approximately 60% of the victims in
this age group are males. Motor vehicle incidents, falls, poisoning by solids and liquids,
drownings, and choking were the leading causes of unintentional injury death. Motor
vehicle incidents were the leading cause of unintentional injury death overall and the
leading cause of unintentional injury death from age 1 to 77.

Drownings were the fourth leading cause of
unintentional injury death. Drowning fatalities reached a high of 188 for 1-year-olds and
were the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for ages 1 to 4, 6 to 18, and
20.For children and youths aged 1 to 24 years, unintentional injuries are the leading
cause of death, accounting for more than 42% of the 43,669 total deaths of these persons.
Overall, motor vehicle incidents were the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for
this age group, followed by drowning, solid and liquid poisonings, and fires and
burns.There were 4,406 drownings, of which males accounted for 3,575 (81%) and females for
831.

0 - 4 age group 11.8%
5 - 14 age group 43.8%
15 - 24 age group 17.4%
25 - 64 age group 24.3%
65 & over age group 2.7%

Fishing
46,700,000 participants / 70,514 injuries

Scuba Diving
2,300,000 participants / 1,542 injuries

Water Skiing
6,600,000 participants / 12,639 injuries.

According to the United States Coast Guard, deaths
associated with recreational boating numbered 734 in the United States and its
territories. Drowning accounted for 517 of the deaths. The Coast Guard estimates that
about 450 boaters who drowned could have been saved by wearing a life jacket. Alcohol was
reported to be involved in 191 (26%) of the deaths.

Floods, which include flash floods, river floods,
and urban/small stream floods, accounted for 68 deaths, 7% of the total weather-related
fatalities. North Carolina recorded the highest number of flood fatalities with 24,
followed by Pennsylvania and New Jersey with 6 fatalities each. Many of the deaths
categorized as "in water" were due to being swept away by current after leaving
a stalled vehicle. Flash floods accounted for 60 fatalities while river floods caused the
remaining 8.

Lightning was responsible for 46 deaths and 243
injuries, which were about 20% below the 10-year fatality average of 57. Florida ranked
highest with five deaths, followed by North Carolina with four. Of those who died, 24 were
outside, 9 were under a tree, and 6 were in boats.

Thirty-two outbreaks of waterborne disease from 18
states were attributed to recreational water exposure (swimming pools, lakes, and ponds)
and affected over 2,000 people. Eighteen of the 32 were outbreaks of gastroenteritis. Ten
of the 18 gastroenteritis outbreaks were associated with treated pools (e.g. chlorinated
pools) and most of the outbreaks were related to human fecal contaminants.